


Pride

by Deveroux



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Adopted Children, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Family, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-27
Updated: 2018-10-27
Packaged: 2019-08-08 06:03:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,227
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16423805
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Deveroux/pseuds/Deveroux
Summary: Keith took a seat across the table from him, resting one elbow on the table and propping his head up on his fist as he watched the boy eat. He felt Shiro’s hand slide into his free hand, knowing the other man had taken the seat beside him, but he didn’t take his eyes off the child across from them, a fond sort of smile playing at his lips.Neither noticed the newest arrival to the room until a halfway screeched, incredulous question reached their ears. “What the quiznak, I go away for two days and you two end up having a kid?!”





	Pride

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I completely got the idea from this after [this](https://twitter.com/handmaidenshiro/status/1049075109707665408) tweet by [@handmaidenshiro](https://twitter.com/handmaidenshiro) on Twitter, and I haven't been able to get rid of the idea since. I have no idea how long it's going to be, this first part ended up so much longer than I intended, but I don't want to rush things too much, so I'll see where it goes from here...

Picking up the pieces of a universe whose power structure had spent three years in collapse was difficult enough, especially when that collapse had been so fraught with battles and struggles within the power vacuum. It certainly hadn’t helped when Haggar – _Honerva_ , Keith had to remind himself for what must have been the thousandth time already – had set her own plans into motion just as they’d liberated Earth from Sendak’s siege and occupation. Planets, satellites, colonies… it felt like none had been spared from the tragic effects of war and destruction. In the aftermath, they’d been trying to make their way to the ones that had been devasted worst, trying to assess the damage and rescue any survivors from dire conditions where necessary.

Sometimes, that was a lofty goal. Sometimes, it was a flicker of hope slowly fading to oblivion.

Keith hated when he set foot onto planets that quashed any semblance of hope. It was a reminder of just how long three years had been, even if they couldn’t have known they’d slip through time when it happened. How many planets had he walked upon now only to find swathes of land utterly decimated, buildings torn asunder and bodies trapped beneath rubble, decaying as the time passed? Those were the times he was glad to go alone, though; he’d rather spare the other Paladins from the sight, even if he logically knew they would likely encounter something similar at one time or another.

This time was much the same, much to his disappointment, although the last scan he’d taken in his lion had showed some signs of life. Most were small, likely whatever fauna happened to be native to the planet, wild and trying to survive. One, however, seemed promising, especially when he followed its location to what he could see was the ruined remains of a small city. Landing the Black Lion, he disembarked to investigate, Bayard drawn as a precaution. He felt a little more on edge than he would have liked, possibly because the last time he’d really been a situation _quite_ like this had been when they’d all been lured into a trap by the druid Macidus on their journey back to Earth, except this time Keith was alone. He’d even left the wolf behind, thinking it’d be nice to just let the animal rest while he took care of this investigation.

Now, of course, Keith found himself questioning his own reasoning.

He walked carefully, cautiously, following the path he’d mapped out before leaving his lion when he heard it: scuffling, rocks kicked aside as though someone were scrambling away. He paused, listening carefully and catching a stifled whimper. The voice sounded young and frightened, and Keith frowned at that realization, following it slowly to where he could just discern a small, huddled shape within the shadows – the size indicated a child and Keith couldn’t help the stray thought roaming through his head saying the child probably believed this was a good attempt at hiding and self-preservation. Still, considering the obvious signs of battle written across the city, he knew he should tread lightly. With a thought, he had his sword dematerialize, the Bayard returning to its dormant shape but remaining in his hand for now even as he raised both hands in the air placatingly.

“I’m not here to hurt you,” he called out, knowing his voice was likely not nearly as soothing as the others’ might have been and certainly knowing he didn’t have nearly as much experience in dealing with kids as Lance or Hunk did. But they weren’t there, it was just him, and he had to do this. “Please, if you’ll just come out, I can help you. It’s not safe to stay here alone.” The shape shifted slightly and Keith narrowed his eyes in an attempt to at least discern some of the child’s features, but the effort wasn’t rewarded. He frowned, taking a step forward only to see the shape of the child scuttle back further, and he couldn’t help but shake his head.

If words wouldn’t do anything to assuage the child’s distrust, then he’d have to go with action. Dropping his right hand to his hip to put his Bayard away again then raising his hand back into the air placatingly, he continued to step closer, the child still shuffling away until there was nowhere left to go. Keith stopped a few feet away, though, dropping down to one knee and holding out one hand toward the child, palm facing up. “It’s okay,” he urged as gently as he could, doing his level best to avoid any hint of impatience in his words. “You don’t have to be afraid to come out. I’m here to bring you somewhere safe.”

This close, Keith could make out some of the child’s features despite the shadows, and what he could see had him more than willing to put any amount of GAC down on this kid being part Galra. If he had to guess, the city had probably been home to the planet’s natives as well as colonizing Galra and hybrids born of the intermingling of both races. He couldn’t see much more than the shape of the child, however, and that would remain true until he could get the child to just come out of the shadows. He watched as the child looked to both sides before focusing on him again, clearly torn before taking a timid step forward, haltingly reaching for his hand.

“You’re- ” the child began in a small voice before the hand quickly retracted, and Keith could see the child’s head shaking side-to-side momentarily before the hand reached out again. “You’re… Voltron, a-aren’t you?”

Keith laughed softly at that, shaking his head as he clarified, “I’m… not quite. I’m a Paladin of Voltron.”

The child was staring at him, he realized from the sensation of his movements being scrutinized, but then he heard small, shuffling steps as the child moved toward him and took his outstretched hand. “Paladin…” the child repeated quietly, nodding slightly. Keith couldn’t help but notice how the child’s eyes remained trained on the ground. “That’s right… mother said that was the name…”

Keith frowned at that, bringing his thumb over the child’s hand and squeezing lightly, reassuringly. “Your mother… was she here with you before?” he asked gently, knowing exactly what the implication would be regardless of the child’s – the boy’s, he could see now – answer was. The boy nodded slightly, eyes darting around the ruins. With the light hitting them now, Keith could clearly see the yellow sclera surrounding gray irises, and he couldn’t say he was surprised his suspicions were confirmed. He carefully drew his arm back toward himself without releasing the boy’s hand, urging the child forward, and something within him cried out in recognition when he saw how the boy scrambled forward, pressing against his chest. As Keith brought his left arm around the boy, he tried to dispel a stray thought of how similar this was to when he’d been touch-starved in his youth, focusing instead on the boy in his arms for now.

It’s not like he’d needed the boy’s confirmation to know in the first place. The devastation made it painfully clear: he was the sole survivor here, orphaned and doing anything he could just to survive. He couldn’t shake the voice in his head asking what might have happened if he _hadn’t_ come to this planet now. How much longer could the boy have possibly survived alone like this?

How long _had_ he been alone, forced to scavenge through whatever he could just to stay alive?

He shook those thoughts from his mind, stroking the boy’s hair gently. “I’m Keith,” he informed the child, his voice almost startlingly gentle. The small voice in the back of his head said the other Paladins would have had _so_ many things to say about this predicament, especially Lance, but Allura might have found it endearing, he supposed, and that might have tempered any of Lance’s potential commentary, at least. “I’m the Black Lion’s Paladin and the leader of Voltron.” The boy pressed closer to him as he spoke and Keith felt the corners of his mouth quirk up into a small smile at that. Petting the boy’s head soothingly a few more times, he asked, “Could you tell me your name?”

The boy was quiet for a few moments longer before he whispered, “Sarok.” The word was barely audible and Keith might not have heard it if he hadn’t been specifically listening for any response.

Pulling back slightly, Keith put one hand under Sarok’s chin, tilting the boy’s face up so they could look into each other’s eyes. “Sarok,” he repeated gently before continuing, “would you like to come with me to somewhere safe – somewhere you won’t have to be alone anymore?” The boy’s shaking would have been obvious even if they weren’t so close right then, and Keith understood it far too well. Sarok had lost everything and Keith was a stranger to him, no matter what stories may have been told across the universe. He knew exactly what it was like, losing family and having strangers come to take him away. But knowing that was exactly why he couldn’t just give up because no matter how much Sarok might feel like he was losing control and losing his last link to his family, he also deserved a chance at something better, something _more_. He deserved to be taken care of. He was still so small, after all.

“Please,” Keith found himself saying. “You don’t have to stay there if you really don’t want to, and I’ll help you find whatever it is you feel you need, but this place – your home – isn’t safe for you anymore. I… know that’s not what you want to hear, and I know it’s not easy leaving your home behind.” Talking this much felt strange to him and he knew he wouldn’t do it if he didn’t _have_ to for this boy’s sake. He felt Sarok pull further away from him to look around, saw the boy’s trembling as he drank in the ruins of the city.

“Home is…” His voice was painfully small and drifted off after just those two words, eyes still searching the city, but Keith saw tears forming after a few moments, though he couldn’t place if they were from sorrow, desperation, or frustration until he heard the boy speak again, each word laced with the pain of loss. “I… I don’t know where it was anymore. Everything looks the same now… everyone…”

Keith pulled Sarok into his arms again, his eyes clenching shut as he did in a silent vigil for the lives lost here and especially for everything that was torn from the child he held now. “Come with me.” It wasn’t a command but it wasn’t quite a plea either. He wanted the boy to decide this on his own. Still, he was relieved when he felt Sarok nod. “Do you want to walk?” He felt the boy’s head move again, this time shaking side-to-side and Keith nodded in understanding, lifting the boy as he stood and holding him carefully. Sarok clung to him then as he began walking back to the Black Lion, and Keith couldn’t help but notice how the boy’s face remained resolutely pressed against the breastplate of his armor. However long this city had been left in this state, however long Sarok had lived among these ruins, he could clearly no longer bear to look at the reminder of all he’d lost, and Keith could understand _that_ as well.

He wasn’t really sure what else to say, though. He was no better with talking to people _now_ than he had ever been, really; he’d always been better at listening, but Sarok didn’t seem ready to really _talk_ – Keith understood _that_ all too well, too. They remained in a strangely companionable silence as Keith walked, and Sarok only peeled away at all when Keith came to a halt at the base of the Black Lion, staring up in wide-eyed awe at the mechanical beast before clinging once again when Keith made his way inside and into the cockpit.

He tried to set the boy down, but he found Sarok refused to let him go. Frowning slightly, Keith placed his hands over Sarok’s, though he didn’t force the boy’s hold off him, opting instead for quietly urging, “Sarok, you have to let go for now.” The boy shook his head before clinging closer and Keith sighed in response. He’d let it go for now, though, sitting in the pilot seat and taking hold of the controls. Sarok clung tighter then, whimpering softly at being released, and Keith offered a gentle, calming shush before he realized what he was doing. _That_ was strange, he thought, but he didn’t dwell on it for long.

“I’ve got you,” he murmured as they took off, his eyes trained on the screens before him as they ascended through the planet’s atmosphere and out into the vast expanse of space. He waited until he’d already started their course back to the Atlas before making contact, careful not to jostle the boy sitting on his lap as he tapped a few buttons the open a line of communication. “Black Lion hailing the Atlas.”

There was a time when he would have been surprised by how quickly he received a response, but now he just smiled slightly when Shiro’s face popped up on screen. “Keith. Heading back already?” Keith watched his eyebrows pinch together slightly as his gaze came to rest upon the child clinging to him. “Who’s-”

“There wasn’t much left there.” He cut Shiro’s question off and he knew he’d be hearing about _that_ later – not from Shiro himself, but from _someone_ , he was certain, because it wasn’t very becoming to cut off the captain of the Atlas, even if he _was_ the leader of Voltron. “I should reach you in about a varga.”

He heard a few murmurs before someone said “hour” more clearly, and Keith felt slightly uncomfortable at the realization – even with how things had changed since their return to Earth, he was so accustomed to the units of time used throughout the universe now that using those were second nature. A part of him felt it didn’t matter either way, since Shiro hadn’t needed the translation, anyway.

“And you’ll explain when you get back, I assume?”

Keith hissed in a breath at that before making a show of rolling his eyes. Of _course_ Shiro would bring up the obvious right then. “Yes, sir,” he quipped, not missing Shiro’s deadpanned “funny’ in response but certainly not commenting on it. He reached toward the button to close communications for the moment but glanced down toward Sarok briefly as he did, frowning to himself for a moment before deciding this was necessary. “Do me a favor and have something to eat on standby, though?” Sarok stirred a bit at those words, tilting his head up to look up curiously but not turning toward the screens, and Keith realized right then he should probably make some form of specifications. If he was right, the boy probably hadn’t had anything _substantial_ in a while. “Preferably nothing… heavy.”

He saw Shiro’s gaze flick downward slightly again, clearly trained on the image of the child on Keith’s lap again, but he looked back up almost immediately and nodded. “I’ll have that taken care of. Get back safely, Keith.”

Keith looked at Shiro’s image for what might have been a few breaths too long, but if anyone on the Atlas noticed, they didn’t say anything, although he _thought_ he heard someone clearing their throat in the background. Still, he smiled easily as he addressed Shiro again, and this time there was no trace of sarcasm in his, “Yes, sir,” before he reached over to end the communication.

Sarok shifted again once the line was cut off, loosening his grip and twisting his head this way and that to look around the cockpit in wonder. Keith couldn’t help but grin at the boy’s curiosity and, rather than bringing up the potentially problematic subject of Sarok’s current level of nutrition, he opted for something a little less intimidating. “Have you ever been in space before this?” When Sarok shook his head, Keith released the controls, helping the boy turn around so he was able to sit comfortably and see the screens. His left hand returned to the controls and his right pointed out toward the stars visible outside the lion. “It’s like nothing else. No matter how many times I’m out here, it still takes my breath away,” Keith confided, his right hand settling onto the controls again as well so he could keep their flight smooth and steady. He knew the Black Lion would keep their course steady enough as long as there were no obstacles, of course, but he also knew he could get them to the Atlas faster if he was actively steering.

A few glances down along the way revealed Sarok gazing out at the stars, the planets, the asteroids, and everything else out in space as they whizzed by on their way toward the Garrison’s prized ship – toward _Shiro’s_ ship – and Keith couldn’t help but feel a surge of warmth and pride at the wonder written so plainly across the boy’s features.

They were nearly back to the Atlas when Sarok started glancing up at Keith. At first, Keith had thought the boy was just growing restless, but after the fourth time Sarok glanced up, bit his lip, and opened his mouth as though ready to speak only to clam up and look away again, he realized the boy had something to say. “You can tell me what’s on your mind, kid.” Sarok glanced back up at him again before looking back out at the stars, _something_ shining in his gaze.

“Voltron really does save everyone… people always said it, but… you really do.”

Keith let out a soft breath at that, something halfway between a breathless laugh and a sigh. “Of course we do.”

His response seemed to calm Sarok and they passed their flight relatively quietly, with Keith explaining some of the phenomena they passed along the way when Sarok would look particularly awed or interested. When the Atlas suddenly came into view, however, the boy tensed and scuttled back toward Keith, twisting around with a fearful question evident in his eyes. Keith smiled reassuringly – he hoped it came across as reassuring, anyway – and nodded toward the ship as they approached it. “That’s the Atlas. It’s our ship, Sarok. That’s where I’m taking you, at least for now,” he explained. The apparent unease didn’t leave the boy’s gaze, however, and Keith continued gently, “You’ll be safe there, I promise. No one there would ever hurt you.”

Sarok still seemed unsure, but Keith helped him up regardless and stood, offering a hand to the child and smiling slightly when Sarok quickly grabbed on. It was endearing how the boy followed him like a lost puppy or maybe a duckling as they disembarked the Black Lion, but Keith didn’t have a chance to dwell on that thought since he could see Shiro had once again met his expectations and met them at the hangar. He’d put money on Shiro having been there for at least ten minutes, but he’d never voice _that_ particular thought since he already knew the disapproving look Shiro would give him. Nevermind how many little wagers they’d had between them about _other_ situations, naturally. 

Keith didn’t miss the tug on his hand or the way Sarok hid behind him at the sight of other people; he didn’t have to look to know Shiro had noticed it as well. Rather than mention it, however, Keith simply allowed the boy to cling to his hand and stay tucked out of view, considering how best to phrase his own report. He couldn’t help but be grateful for Shiro’s patience, knowing the Atlas’ captain wouldn’t press the issue until Keith chose to speak up.

That didn’t stop Shiro from raising an eyebrow at him, gaze pointedly sliding to the Galra child hiding behind Keith, though.

With a sigh, Keith shook his head. “Things were… worse than anticipated,” he began, absently squeezing Sarok’s hand when the boy pressed closer to him. Keith had known the child would be paying attention, hyperfocused on everything around him as he tried to piece the situation together, and he couldn’t blame Sarok for that at all; he remembered exactly what it was like, trying to understand a world – a universe – that was suddenly too large, with everything he’d ever known torn away and feeling like he’d never be safe again. “Any readings of life were minimal at best, except one.” He didn’t have to mention the dilapidated destruction he’d seen among the city he’d come across. Instead, he kept to what was most pressing, especially when he saw the way Shiro tensed momentarily. Keith didn’t need to ask in order to know he’d remembered the encounter with Macidus as well. “That’s how I found…”

He squeezed Sarok’s hand encouragingly, taking a step forward and just slightly to the side, noticing how Shiro looked toward the boy before crouching down and offering his flesh hand. Sarok seemed ready to hide behind Keith again, but he looked from Keith to Shiro and back again, clinging against Keith’s side rather than taking Shiro’s hand. Keith smiled slightly, encouragingly, but he didn’t force Sarok from his side. “This is Sarok. He was alone there. I… couldn’t leave him there.” He didn’t need to say that, Shiro would have known it without him ever voicing it. Gunmetal eyes looked up at him as Shiro smiled. When Keith looked down, he saw Sarok watching Shiro, clearly trying to assess if there was any threat to him in that moment. For his part, Shiro kept his hand extended toward the boy, a reassuring smile on his lips; Keith extracted his hand from Sarok’s and gave the boy a gentle, encouraging pat on the head as if to tell him everything was alright.

It took a few moments more before Sarok finally pulled away from Keith just enough to reach one hand toward Shiro, haltingly taking the captain’s hand. Shiro’s smile brightened and Sarok shuffled a little closer to him. “Sarok. I’m Shiro; I’m the captain of this ship and Keith’s… friend.” It wasn’t lost on either of them when the boy tilted his head slightly at Shiro’s pause. Still, the boy stayed there, one arm attached at Keith’s leg and the other outstretched to where he held Shiro’s hand, looking back and forth between the two as though he were trying to decide something.

Keith ruffled the boy’s deep indigo hair, smiling slightly as he looked down at him, and Sarok turned his face upward toward Keith. “How about we find you something to wear and get you cleaned up?” The boy’s eyes widened slightly before he nodded, quickly releasing Shiro’s hand and clinging to Keith’s side again. Keith felt his heart race momentarily at Shiro’s chuckle, though the sound became an appraising hum when Keith knelt down to pull Sarok into his arms before hoisting the boy up from the ground to carry him. A quick look over his shoulder showed Keith how Shiro still watched them. “You did have something prepared for him to eat, right?”

“You asked me to, didn’t you?”

Keith didn’t manage to stop himself from rolling his eyes at Shiro’s question, the tone indicating his own query had been foolish; _Keith_ had made the request, after all, so of course Shiro would see to it that it was ready. It was an unspoken truth and Keith was grateful for it as he walked toward the living quarters. He ignored the glances from crewmembers along the way and frowned slightly when he felt Sarok press closer to him as the boy shook slightly. The amount of people coupled with the unfamiliar location was likely wreaking havoc on the child’s thoughts, and Keith was honestly relieved when he finally opened the door to one of the rooms and stepped inside, letting out a long breath when the door slid shut behind them. He set Sarok down on the floor again before heading toward the closet.

He’d barely opened the door and stuck a hand inside when he heard the small voice from behind him. “This is your bedroom…?” When Keith glanced over his shoulder, he saw Sarok had moved toward a shelf and was looking at the items placed upon it. The boy reached up toward one item in particular, a frame holding a photograph Hunk had taken of him and Shiro. They hadn’t been looking at the camera, which Hunk had said was _exactly_ why he had taken the picture. He’d said they’d only had eyes for each other that night and it was something that needed to be documented for posterity. At the time, Keith had rolled his eyes and told Hunk to stop messing around.

Everyone already knew he’d gotten a frame for it as soon as he could after leaving the room, though.

Keith cleared his throat lightly and Sarok quickly retracted his hand, turning to look at him with wide eyes, embarrassment written on his features. Before the boy could apologize, though, Keith just smiled. “Well, technically it’s Shiro’s room, I guess. That’s why it’s bigger than the other ones on the ship. But I don’t really use mine much.” When he thinks about it, he hasn’t been in his own room in months, ever since he’d put his things into Shiro’s room. Or, really, ever since Shiro had commandeered his clothes and said Keith should just stay in _his_ room.

Sarok just nodded slightly and continued looking around even though there wasn’t much to find in the room. Keith turned his attention back to the closet to find something he could give to the boy, bypassing anything of Shiro’s and even frowning at his own clothes. Anything they had would be far too big for a child, but they’d have to make do for the moment, at least until they could stop off somewhere to pick up something new. As he reached for a t-shirt, he heard the question Sarok probably hadn’t meant to ask aloud: “Is it like mother and father?”

Keith’s eyes widened imperceptibly and he turned quickly, seeing Sarok once again inspecting the photograph. He didn’t respond, partly because he didn’t know what to say and partly because he didn’t think the boy wanted to know his question had been heard. Shaking his head, Keith quickly retrieved the t-shirt he’d been reaching for as well as a pair of shorts; if nothing else, they’d be able to pull the drawstring tight so the shorts would _probably_ stay up. Returning to Sarok’s side, he offered the boy a hand. “Come on, I’ll help you get the shower started so you can wash up.”

Sarok followed after him quietly and watched as Keith placed the clothes down before grabbing a towel for the boy to use. He set about getting the shower to a good temperature, then turned with a small smile. “I’ll be right outside if you need me, alright?” When Sarok nodded, Keith left the bathroom, settling onto the bed instead once the door closed. He couldn’t help but consider the child’s quiet question as he sat there waiting, though he wasn’t entirely sure how Sarok had picked up on it so easily. It wasn’t as though he and Shiro really hid their relationship, but it wasn’t something he expected anyone to see after just meeting the two of them. That the boy had noticed so easily made him reconsider his own perception of their relationship now.

He wasn’t certain how long he’d been lost in thought before the door to the bathroom opened again, Sarok stepping out timidly with a frown as his hands held up the shorts that were much too big on him. Keith laughed softly, kindly, but he quickly rose and walked over to the boy, dropping to one knee to help him adjust the makeshift outfit, pulling the drawstring tight and tying it into place. Once he’d checked to ensure the shorts – which really looked more like obscenely wide-legged pants on the child – would stay in place, Keith rose again, offering his hand to Sarok once again. “How about we go see what Shiro pulled together for you?” Distantly, he thought it would have been nice if Hunk had been there rather than out investigating another planet to assess for damage since that would have meant a real treat for Sarok, but there would probably be time for that at some point. For now, he really just had to hope Shiro had left it to the crew to actually prepare the food rather than having any hand in it himself just because it was something Keith had requested. Keith wasn’t sure he’d have even wished that disaster on _Haggar_ – Honerva, he mentally corrected himself again – and _that_ was saying something.

By the time they reached the dining hall, Keith’s shoulders were tense from the crew’s whispers. He was certain he’d heard more than a fair few mentioning how cute it was to see Sarok following him like a duckling. It had taken a great deal of effort to avoid responding to the comments. He was relieved to see Shiro waiting for them at one of the tables, his expression relaxing when Shiro stood with a smile at their approach. Sarok looked at the table with wide eyes, unsure of what to do.

“Go ahead, you can have a seat,” Shiro urged, the words as warm as the look in his eyes. He took a few steps closer when Sarok didn’t move, dropping to one knee and offering his hand again. Sarok stared at it for a few ticks before quickly grabbing onto it, prompting Shiro to smile again before his prosthetic grabbed onto the boy gently so he could lift Sarok up and onto the chair. The move elicited a gasp from the child, but it quickly turned into a giggle as he moved through the air and settled down onto the chair. Shiro pulled back a bit, though he reached back over to ruffle Sarok’s hair.

Keith wasn’t sure what to make of the strange, fluttering feeling he got in his chest as he watched on.

“You can have as much as you want,” Shiro informed Sarok as he motioned toward the food on the table. The boy’s eyes widened again and _that_ brought a sensation Keith was _much_ more familiar with, a pang of remorse for what the child had clearly gone through. He wondered how long Sarok’s home had been left in ruins, how long the boy had been alone there, and how long it had been since he’d seen anything resembling a decently sized meal.

“This is all for me?” Sarok asked in wonder. Keith moved to his other side, placing a hand on his shoulder and nodding encouragingly when the boy looked up at him.

Once Sarok reached for a spoon, Keith took a seat across the table from him, resting one elbow on the table and propping his head up on his fist as he watched the boy eat. He felt Shiro’s hand slide into his free hand, knowing the other man had taken the seat beside him, but he didn’t take his eyes off the child across from them, a fond sort of smile playing at his lips.

Neither noticed the newest arrival to the room until a halfway screeched, incredulous question reached their ears. “What the quiznak, I go away for two days and you two end up having a kid?!”

Sarok froze, the spoon raised halfway to his lips, but Keith was unfazed by the exclaimed question and rolled his eyes, sighing faintly before shaking his head. “Lance. Glad to see you got back safely.” He didn’t turn to look at the other Paladin, though, and as expected, Lance flopped into one of the remaining seats at the table a few seconds later. Blue eyes looked from Keith and Shiro to the child seated at the table, but Keith simply shook his head almost imperceptibly, reaching across the table to nudge Sarok’s bowl of soup a little closer to him. The action seemed to prompt the boy to start eating again, though he kept his eyes trained on Lance as though assessing if this was someone else he could tentatively trust.

“Eat,” Keith urged quietly, a small and fond smile on his lips again as Sarok listened to him. He still kept his attention on the boy as Shiro began explaining the situation to Lance.

“Keith brought him back from the investigation. He said this was the only survivor he’d found there.”

Lance didn’t question that part of it. It was no secret that Keith tended to insist on going to the planets where they expected the most damage by way of protecting the other Paladins from what they might find there. Lance had argued with him about it a few times, pointing out the obvious about how it wasn’t like the remaining planets they tended to investigate were in the greatest shape, either. Shiro had even chimed in on Lance’s arguments a few times, though his intentions were more for Keith’s sake since he didn’t find it particularly fair for Keith to always be the one who saw the most hopeless cases. Lance usually kept quiet about that even if he agreed with Shiro about it since he knew it was a losing argument. Not that his own arguments had ever really won out over Keith’s stubbornness.

“So, an orphan, then,” Lance said, watching the child intently. He seemed to be taking the boy’s features into account, from yellow sclera to the violet skin that leaned more toward the blue end of the spectrum than most Galra, but that only solidified any considerations that the boy was half-Galra at most. Lance scooted his chair a little closer to the kid and none of them were surprised in any sense of the word when Sarok froze, gray eyes looking at him with a hint of fear and confusion. Lance smiled easily, though, holding both hands up as he did. “Hey, it’s fine, kid.”

Keith rolled his eyes again. “Sarok, Lance is one of Voltron’s Paladins. He’s… well, _mostly_ harmless.” He ignored the indignant squawk from Lance, only continuing after Shiro squeezed his hand, partly chastising him for the comment, though Keith knew Shiro would look a little amused if he turned his gaze on the older man right then. “He’s a friend, though. You can trust him.” Sarok seemed to take that to heart, biting his lip before looking at Lance again and nodding. He still didn’t speak, though, and Keith found that a little disconcerting. It wasn’t as though the boy had been especially verbose earlier when it was just the two of them, but he’d been at least a little more comfortable with speaking. Still, he supposed Sarok was still overwhelmed by everything.

“I’m the one who can show you where Pidge hides all the games on this ship,” Lance whispered conspiratorially as he leaned a little toward Sarok. “I’ll even teach you to play them, if you want. Or help you steal the cookies Shiro insists are definitely _not_ stocked in the kitchen.”

“Lance!”

With a bright laugh, Lance backed up, holding his hands up placatingly against Shiro. “Fine, fine, I most definitely _won’t_ show you where there very definitely are not _any_ cookies or other treats.”

Keith couldn’t help but shake his head, turning away just slightly and hiding part of his face against the fist he’d had it propped up on and laughing quietly. If nothing else, Lance’s antics seemed to help Sarok relax, and he had definitely noticed the way the boy had seemed intrigued by the mention of cookies, even if he might not know exactly what Lance was talking about.

Before the banter could continue, however, Shiro extracted his hand from Keith’s and stood, mentioning he had to get back to the bridge before Keith could question him. Indigo eyes followed Shiro’s path until he left the room, and when Keith turned to look back at his tablemates, Lance was giving him a _painfully_ knowing look. “Shut up.” It was preemptive, of course, and Lance simply shrugged.

Rather than make any comments in a futile attempt to embarrass Keith or any that would undoubtedly rile him up, Lance turned his attention to Sarok again. “I take it you’re going to take… Sarok, was it?” He paused there, looking toward Keith and receiving a nod in response. “You’re planning to take him to Earth, right?” Again, Keith nodded, but that only caused Lance to frown. “It’s going to be a bit before we get the chance to go back, though, isn’t it? I mean, we could probably send an adult with a shuttle, but for a kid that would be kind of…”

Keith shrugged, offhandedly commenting, “He’ll stay with me until then.” He hadn’t even really put any thought into it, not until Lance _looked_ at him, and that caused Keith to scowl. “What?”

“Have you, uh… talked with _Shiro_ about that yet?”

Keith spluttered for a moment, which caused Sarok to look at him curiously, but he composed himself quickly and coughed to dispel the moment. “I didn’t mean it like – I just mean, I’ll make sure he’s taken care of until we can get him to Earth.” He refused to look at Lance, not wanting to see the skeptical look from the other Paladin. “B-besides, I meant he can take my old room. It’s not like it’s doing anyone any good just sitting there empty.”

Lance was still giving him that look, though, but he conceded for the time being. “Sure. That’s what you meant.”

Somehow, Keith knew that wasn’t the last he’d hear of the topic. But at least it was dropped for the time being.

. . . 

After Sarok had finished eating, Keith and Lance had showed the boy around a bit, with Lance making an infinitely better tour guide than Keith as he animatedly explained the different sections of the Atlas to the quiet but clearly curious child. A few times, Lance had nudged Keith’s side, nodding toward the boy who had stuck close to Keith the entire time, but Keith had quickly shoved Lance away with a quick glare. By the time they were finished, Sarok had started asking a few questions of his own, though, and he even offered a small smile at some of Lance’s jokes, though they both noticed it didn’t really reach the child’s eyes. At one point, he’d even asked about Shiro and Keith, but before Lance could answer, Keith had cut him off, saying it was probably best if Sarok got some sleep for the time being.

Lance had rolled his eyes and mimed something that looked _suspiciously_ like a position the Paladins had caught Shiro and Keith in several weeks earlier, prompting Keith to quickly retort with a curt, “ _Goodnight_ , Lance.” With that, he’d carried Sarok off toward the bedrooms again, smiling faintly when the boy yawned and rested his head on Keith’s shoulder.

Before Keith could bring the boy into his old bedroom, though, Sarok asked if it was alright to stay with him for the night. Keith considered it briefly before affirming that it was alright, carrying Sarok to the bedroom he shared with Shiro instead and setting the boy onto the bed once they were inside. He pulled the sheets back and helped the boy under the covers, tucking him in and briefly brushing his hair back before promising, “I’ll be back in a bit, alright? Try to get some rest.” Sarok blinked up owlishly, nodding as Keith stepped away and picked up a change of clothes on his way into the bathroom to shower.

By the time he stepped out, the boy was already asleep and Keith couldn’t help but smile at the sight. He wasn’t ready to admit it, but Lance might have been absolutely correct to look at him so skeptically earlier. It felt strange. He’d never been quick to grow attached to _anyone_. Distantly, he wondered if this had something to do with a sense of kinship due to the child’s circumstances.

Brushing the thoughts aside, though, Keith, slid into bed. He was surprised when Sarok turned in his sleep and immediately curled up against his side, at least until he heard the boy’s soft whimpers. Nightmares, Keith realized. He was distinctly familiar with _those_ as well. His had always involved a shadowed figure walking away from him and fire, so much fire. He couldn’t even begin to imagine what Sarok’s must have looked like. He soothingly shushed the boy, though, petting his hair. Something about the contact seemed to assuage the child’s nightmares for the time being.

Keith wasn’t sure when he’d begun to doze – he didn’t think he’d dozed at all – but he found himself stirring back awake when the door opened. He didn’t need to look to know it was Shiro, especially when the other man didn’t bother to turn the lights on out of courtesy. Keith knew Shiro would have seen the lights off and rightly assumed he was already in bed, after all. He listened as Shiro changed in the faint glow afforded by his right arm, smiling when the older man came over to the bed and slipped in. That was when Shiro noticed Keith was awake and that they weren’t alone.

“Here, give him to me,” Shiro murmured, pressing a quick kiss to Keith’s temple, and Keith slid Sarok over onto Shiro’s chest slowly, carefully. He shifted further onto the bed, Shiro scooting closer as he did, and Keith couldn’t help the sigh that escaped him when he snuggled against Shiro’s side, one arm behind Shiro’s neck and the other resting over the child who now rested on top of the captain – on top of his boyfriend.

“Sorry, I must have fallen asleep,” he mumbled, leaning in and intending to kiss Shiro’s cheek, but Shiro seemed to know exactly what he’d been planning to do and turned his head to capture Keith’s lips in a light kiss, his right arm coming to rest at the small of Keith’s back. Keith smiled against his lips, letting himself get comfortable.

“Didn’t want him to be alone for the night?”

“It didn’t feel right to leave him, especially when he asked to stay with me.”

Shiro nodded at that, drawing Keith a little closer. He understood, at least. Keith had known he would, they were usually on the same wavelength and often didn’t need words to communicate what they were thinking or planning.

He fell asleep like that, thinking of just how comfortable this felt, how strangely _right_ it felt, even if Keith wasn’t sure he was ready to put it into words that he wanted this – Shiro’s arms around him, a little makeshift family with a child, with this child. But that was a bridge they could cross later.


End file.
